Israeli Identity and the Future of American Jewry

Author: Jennie Starr

This article does a great job of arguing “Israeliness” may be a solution to combat apathy towards organized Jewish life in the Diaspora and the challenges of assimilation.

Though I’m not a fan of the term “Israeliness,” I do believe Israeli culture and Hebrew language can be key to raising Jewish Americans with an Israeli lens that bridges and connects us for years to come.

Some of my favorite quotes from within:

Oblivion knocks. The two obvious alternatives—aliya and Orthodoxy—require so radical a change in one’s lifestyle that they’re non-starters for most American Jews. If those were the only options, most would choose oblivion.

On Tikkun Olam and activism as replacing Jewish identity building: a Jewish identity built on activism has begun to feel like flooring it on the freeway when you’re almost out of gas.On the importance of learning Modern Hebrew: Without fluency in Hebrew, the engagement with Israeliness will always be a dilution and distortion based on intermediaries.